A projector having a light source, a light modulator configured to form an image light by modulating a luminous flux emitted from the light source according to image data, and a projection optical device configured to project the image light in an enlarged scale is known.
In the projector of this type, a configuration to cool optical elements such as the light modulator with cooling liquid is proposed (see, for example, JP-A-2007-41412).
The projector disclosed in JP-A-2007-41412 includes an optical element holding member which allows the cooling liquid to flow and holds the optical element, a liquid pumping unit which forces the cooling liquid to circulate, and a radiator in the interior thereof. The members as described above are connected by a plurality of liquid circulation members, whereby an annular flow channel which allows the cooling liquid to circulate is formed. The heat generated in the optical element is transferred to the cooling liquid via the optical element holding member. The heat transferred to the cooling liquid is radiated when the cooling liquid flows in the radiator.
However, with the projector disclosed in JP-A-2007-41412, since the radiator is employed as a device for radiating heat of the cooling liquid, it is difficult to lower the temperature of the cooling liquid effectively. In other words, since the optical element is cooled with the cooling liquid at a relatively high temperature, it is difficult to cool the optical element effectively.